Certainty
by Caitastrophe8499
Summary: Conversations on the verge of death have a way of making things clear. Captain Canary.
1. The one unchangeable certainty is that

_Two-Shot from Marooned. Contains MAJOR spoilers._

 _Title and chapter quotes are from John F. Kennedy._

 _My first foray with this show and this couple, but I couldn't help it. I just love them so much. Let me know what you think!_

 _For the others, the next chapter of Spy Vs. Spy will be up within the next couple of days._

 _I own nothing. Don't hurt me._

* * *

Sara and Leonard were huddled up against the cool metal, their shoulders the only things touching, even as the bone aching chill began to eat through their clothes and skin.

"I suppose this feels like a day at the beach for you," Sara murmured, her arms wrapped around herself, trying to keep from shivering.

"If I had to pick a way to die, freezing wouldn't be the worst." Leonard hesitated, then glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "What it like, dying? I imagine you've got a unique perspective."

"It's funny. I mean, you'd expect it to be terrifying. Just panic and fear."

"What'd you feel?" His voice was low and smoky. So warm, compared to the ice he wielded constantly. He wasn't looking at her face, but just over her arms. Almost as if he were afraid to connect.

"I guess, lonely?" Her mouth had turned down slightly, the pain of reliving her death not happy memory, but he had asked. And for some reason, she couldn't say no. "Yeah. Like everybody I loved was a million miles away. I mean, I don't like you, but at least I'm not dying alone."

He almost smiled at that. Then, "Closest I ever came to dying was, uh…the day I met Mick."

"Why does that not surprise me?"

"It wasn't like that," he said, finally meeting her eyes. "It was my first day in juvie. I was 14 and the smallest kid in there, by far. Some of the older kids wanted to make sure I knew it." He sighed, looking up and out over their frozen cell. "So they jumped me. I fought back, but one of them had a shiv…and I figured that was it. Until Mick stepped in. And they didn't mess with me after that. He's been standing up for me ever since."

"Let's just hope he's standing up for Rip and Jax now."

"Who else is gonna take on those pirates?"

Sara grinned, before another shiver rattled her so badly her bones ached.

She jumped up, unable to stay still any longer. Leonard looked slightly startled and his eyes opened wider. "What are you doing?"

"Keeping warm," she managed to spit out between her chattering teeth. "God I hate this. So much."

"Freezing to death? I'll admit, it's an inconvenience."

She cut her eyes at him, half in annoyance, half in humor. "No. Being stuck here. Not able to do anything. Just…waiting to die."

"You know, I never thought it would be ice that got me," Leonard said. His voice distracted her slightly from her aching arms and hands, so she zeroed in on it; foggy tones, low rumble. Even if she wasn't dying, she'd admit that Leonard's voice was a nice thing to listen to. "When I was a kid, I thought it'd be my old man. Then I thought it'd be prison. Recently…" he trailed off.

"Recently?" Sara prompted, rubbing her arms.

Leonard glanced up, almost as if he was unaware she was still there. "I thought fire would figure in it."

"But you and Mick…"

"Have had some serious disagreements as of late."

Sara remembered the tension from when they played cards. She hadn't liked it. Mick, for all that he was on edge, insane and possibly murderous, could be a lot of fun. The Rouges tolerated her more than most of the others on the Waverider, with perhaps the exception of Kendra.

Perhaps it was the cold messing with her head, but Sara didn't stop the words from tumbling out. "'Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. From what I've tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire. But if'…um," she shook her head, unable to remember the rest of it.

"'But if I had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate to say that for destruction ice is also great, and would suffice,"' Leonard finished with a wry smile.

Leonard reciting poetry just became her favorite sound in the world.

She grinned, ignoring the pain that sparked on her face as the ice that had formed cracked with the movement. "You know Robert Frost?"

"I did take a high school English class. And poems about ice, well, there aren't that many," he pointed out, getting to his feet when he saw she wasn't going to be sitting anytime soon. He paced back and forth, his hands jammed into the pockets of his coat. "Didn't peg you for a poetry girl."

Sara laughed, a crisp sound in the air, "I'll have you know, I took an English lit class at community college."

He smiled, that tight-lipped smirk that made the lines around his mouth appear. "So, fire or ice for you?"

"Do I have a choice right now?"

"Humor me." He looked over at her.

She shivered so violently it was obvious. "Dammit. I can't think I'm so cold."

Leonard shucked off his coat and held it out to her. "Here."

"No, Len, I can't, you'll-"

"Die slower? Hardly appealing. Take it," he ordered.

Sara backed away, "No."

"If it comes down to it, I can survive a bit longer than you. Just take it." He decided against waiting for her acceptance and wrapped it around her shoulders As soon as it wrapped around her, she sighed and melted into the faint warmth it had left, unable to fight back any longer.

Putting her arms through the sleeves, Sara pulled the collar up over her neck and chin, inhaling slightly. It smelled like winter - not the icy, freezing kind, but the pine, dark skies, warm cotton blanket kind. She liked it.

Even better was the tight thermal that Leonard was wearing, his figure none too unappealing. She didn't understand why he wore so many damn layers all the time.

"It's comfortable," he answered, with another one of those smirks.

Sara hadn't realized she'd spoken out loud, but couldn't find the energy to be embarrassed. She just shrugged, and went back to the wall, sliding down until she hit the floor.

Leonard took a seat next to her, a little closer than before. She pushed her shoulder against his, sharing what little heat she had. Through the leather coat, she could feel his shivering.

"Len?" she mumbled quietly.

"Hmm."

"I'm sorry you're trapped here. But I'm glad that I'm not…"

"Alone?" he finished for her, looking over.

She nodded.

"Same here."

Sara smiled and knocked her shoulder against his.

"You never answered me," he said lowly. "Fire or ice?"

She looked up at him, but he was staring out into the room. She stared at his profile, the bright blue eyes, and close cut hair. "Ice," she responded. "But not Frost's kind of ice. Yours is better. That's the ice I'd choose."

He glanced over, that smirk lifting the side of his mouth. "Good choice."

They sat in silence, comfortable at first, then the less comfortable exhaustion of hypothermia. Sara felt ice begin to appear on her cheeks and lips and watched it cake on Leonard's face. She shivered, every movement pressing her closer to his side and shoulder. He didn't seem to dislike it.

Though, they were both freezing, so…

"Nothing quite like dying to make you think about all the mistakes, all the wrong choices."

"Is this Leonard Snart coming to God in his final moments?" she even managed a shaky smile.

He smiled in return. "Hardly." He rubbed his hands together quickly before tucking them beneath his arms. Sara caught the wince of pain as the cold began to take hold in his skin. "Just wishing I could take a few things back. I should've left Mick in future Star City."

"Why didn't you?"

"Without me to keep him in check, Mick can be a scary guy."

"Agreed. Hate to break it to you, but even if we make it out of here alive, you're still gonna have a problem on your hands. And I've seen enough to know that Mick's in a dark place. He's not coming back." She knew that better than anyone.

Sara wrapped her arms around his and curled into his shoulder. He leaned against her slightly, what little warmth he had left shared with her. Sara inhaled deeply, closing her eyes as she pressed her face into his shirt. Turning slightly, he put his arm around her shoulder, tucking her into his chest. It should have felt strange. Cuddling with a thief and villain. But it didn't.

Dammit. Since when had a Rouge become her best friend? Oh, right. When he'd saved her from herself.

Coming back from the dark abyss of her bloodlust hadn't seemed like an option for her. But then she remembered how Leonard had called her name over the comm in Russia, helping her keep her humanity. To be more than a killer. More than an assassin. To be part of a team.

"You can't save everyone," she whispered.

"What makes you think I want to?"

Sara looked up, surprised to find him so close. "Lisa. Stein. Mick. Ray and Carter. Me."

Leonard glanced down slightly. "You're my team. Nobody messes with my team. It looks weak."

"You're not weak."

"I'm aware."

Neither one of them moved. Sara was intensely aware of his arm over her shoulders, his hand wrapped around her shoulder to hold her tighter. Her hands were trapped between the two of them and Sara moved slightly to grip his sweater.

"You're braver than me," Sara told him quietly. "I'm afraid of my own dreams."

"That's only because you've been through more than most people." His voice had, if possible, gotten even lower. It rumbled across her skin and into her bones.

She found her real fears on the floor of that stupid, icy room, in the arms of the last person she ever would have expected to find something in common. "I'm afraid I'll never make up for the bad things I've done. I don't just want to be the assassin."

"Then don't. Be Sara."

She scoffed, managing to tear her eyes away from his very blue ones, staring at his sweater.

"If I'm ice," Leonard started, "and I think we've established that I am." That drew a faint smile from her, though she still didn't look up. "Then you're the fire. White-hot, passionate, driven."

Sara glanced up with a smile, brow arched even as she shivered again. "That's one hell of a line, Snart."

"I thought so. Did it work?" His blue eyes were unwavering, unembarrassed, and unhesitant.

"Yeah." She leaned up into him, pressing her cold lips to his and somehow still feeling a burst of heat. His hand tangled in her hair and pulled her even closer as she fisted her hands in his sweater. There was little gentleness, too cold to take their time, but as his teeth scraped and bit at her lips, Sara couldn't remember feeling anything better.

He broke away for a moment, cold fingers stroking across her cheek and jaw. "'From what I've tasted,'" he murmured across her lips, "'I hold with those who favor fire.'"

Sara smiled and kissed him deeper, his tongue almost hot compared to his hands and lips, but the best kind of burn. She moved closer, sliding partway onto his legs, and his hands slid down to her hips. Hauling him closer by his sweater, Sara ground against his lap, and the most obscene growl escaped his mouth. The idea of this normally composed man losing his control because of her made Sara grin. His hands slid up and icy fingers traced over her ribs, her faintly heated skin making the cold feel that much more frozen and she shivered.

Len removed his hands, "Sorry."

"I'm not."

Still, they were brought back to their present condition rather abruptly. They split apart, the cold making any further moves unadvisable. However, even as they broke away, they didn't let one another move far. Sara was half in Leonard's lap and his arms were around her waist.

"You have really shitty timing," Sara laughed quietly.

"Well, when the moment strikes." He shrugged and pulled her more firmly into his lap, curling up into his chest and trying to convince herself that the continuing shudders were only from the freezing air. "Don't know exactly how much time we have left. Have to make the most of it."

She glanced up at his mouth, curved up in a smile despite their apparently imminent death. Within, in a useless part of her that didn't actually help physically, she felt warm. Which made her next comment that much more difficult to say, "If this was just one of those, I'm-dying-so-why-the-hell-not type things, I'd understand."

He nodded and hummed quietly. "Good."

Sara dropped her eyes, that useless internal warmth starting to dissipate. It wasn't until it was almost gone that she realized she wanted it back. She shivered, pressing closer into him, even if it was only for the moment. Her eyes began to grow heavy, and she fought to keep them open, staring at the dark sweater under her hands.

"And if it wasn't?" Leonard asked her, his voice sounding quieter, but still focused.

Sara looked up, "What?"

"What if it wasn't a spur of the moment decision, but a…pre-meditated thought that was only put into action by our rather exciting situation?" Leonard explained, glancing down to meet her eyes.

"I'd understand that, too," Sara answered, ignoring how much it hurt when she smiled, the ice burning her skin.

"Good. Then until we get out, let's just consider this," he gestured between them, "on ice."

She rolled her eyes, "That's bad."

"I am a villain."

Her chuckle degenerated into a shiver that she couldn't stop. Snart held her closer until she could tell where hers ended and his began. She closed her eyes, turning her face into his chest and inhaling that pine scent. Probably an expensive cologne. Probably stolen.

For a while, all that could be heard was the faint shivering of their breathing.

"Sara."

He sounded far away.

"Sara, wake up," Leonard said, louder, shaking her slightly.

"Tired," she whispered.

"Hypothermia. Stay with me." When she remained quiet, he shook her again. "Sara! Stay awake."

She shook her head to clear her fuzzy thoughts, lifting it up from his chest. "Ugh, at least the last death was quick."

"We're not dying," Leonard said.

"What would you call this?"

"Just intense suffering. Besides," he rubbed his hands over her shoulders clumsily, as if he was losing feeling in them. "Could be worse."

"How?"

"You could be stuck in here alone. Or worse," he paused. "With Rip."

She laughed again, not remembering the last time she'd laughed this often, let alone in a situation like this. "I'm glad you're here, crook."

"Me too, assassin."

Suddenly the pressure in the air changed, and the systems flickered back in. Heat began flowing into the room almost immediately and Sara nearly went weak with the pleasure of it. "It's about damn time," she groaned, not wanting to move just yet. Leonard shifted though, and Sara knew their time was up. She got up, helping him to his feet as he rubbed some warmth back into his chapped hands.

"Guess our time isn't up yet," Leonard drawled. His eyes didn't clarify if he meant as a couple or alive. She took it to mean both.

Sara smirked, feeling the heat burn away the ice from her face. She slipped off his coat and handed it back to him. "Guess not."

He grabbed her wrist instead of the coat and pulled her closer. "Good." His mouth slanted over hers, the residual cold on his lips making the heat seem that much stronger. Sara leaned into him, his free hand immediately pressing into the small of her back, bringing her entire body into contact with his. She wrapped her hand around the back of his neck, her fingers playing with the close cut hair there.

The door slid open and they stepped apart reluctantly. "Until later?" he suggested.

"Sounds-"

Kendra's shouts made Sara twist to look over her shoulder. They both hurried to the open door, Snart tugging his jacket on quickly.

They jogged into the other room, seeing Kendra and Ray wrapped in a very close embrace.

"You kids need a moment?" Leonard interrupted, as if he hadn't been doing the exact same thing less than two minutes ago.

Sara glanced at him and grinned slightly. Villains were so much fun.


	2. nothing is certain or unchangeable

_Two-Shot from Marooned. Contains MAJOR spoilers._

 _Title and chapter quotes are from John F. Kennedy._

 _Final follow up the the first chapter. I do love writing Leonard. I hope you like it!_

 _I own nothing. Don't hurt me._

* * *

Leonard followed Sara, Ray and Kendra out into the hallway, his hands on his gun, even as he saw Sara reach for the staff she didn't have.

Mick led several men onto the Waverider, none of them a member of their team. Leonard tensed, stepping further up and drawing Mick's attention.

"You okay, Mick?" he called out neutrally.

For a half a second, Leonard thought that maybe - _maybe_ \- this wasn't what it looked like. Then Mick stared straight ahead and growled, "Boys! Ship's all yours."

"What're you doing, Mick?" he questioned, his hand on his gun as these men started coming onto his ship.

"Getting us home. You in?" Mick asked, finally looking at him. Leonard felt like he was looking into the eyes of that rough and tumble kid who'd saved him that day in juvie.

"Yeah. Time to choose a side, I guess," Leonard answered lowly. Time to make a choice. But it was more than just with Mick or not. It was so much more and Leonard couldn't help but consider every aspect of it.

Villain or hero.

Bad or good.

Captain Cold or Leonard Snart.

Mick was watching him, and if Leonard didn't know better, he'd say that Mick was almost pleading with him. Leonard looked back and saw Sara watching him, too, waiting for him to make his choice. She wasn't going to force him to choose her, but he knew she'd already chosen. She'd chosen him, just minutes ago in the freezing room, on the verge of death. Fire or ice, and she'd chosen him.

Mick or Sara.

Past or future.

Rogue or Legend.

He swallowed tightly, knowing there would be no coming back from this. One way or another, things were going to change. And he had to choose right now. Right. _Now_.

Sara shifted slightly, and he saw Ray and Kendra behind her, both ready to back him if he chose them, and prepared to do what they had to if he didn't. And he knew that they'd pull their punches. They wouldn't kill him. Because they didn't want to. They'd stop him, possibly, but they wouldn't kill him. If he didn't choose Mick, on the other hand…

He looked back at Mick, the man who'd saved his life, who helped him, who'd followed him, who fought against him, who was now endangering the mission for his own selfish gain, regardless of who could get hurt in the way, a man who would use pain and intimidation to get what he wanted, and then he saw something he didn't want to see.

Leonard saw who he could be. He saw the man that he would become if he stayed with Mick.

That man looked an awful lot like his father.

Leonard drew his gun, ignoring the way Sara tensed, then turned it on his former partner and fired.

"Chosen," Leonard said, a weight lifting off of him.

"Bastard!" Mick screamed.

There was a blur of action and Leonard hit the ground, fighting off one of the space pirates. By the time he found his feet, Sara and Mick were gone. Kendra and Ray had the pirates moderately under control, so Leonard left them, following the sounds of Mick's shouts further into the ship. He barreled through the ship, only catching part of what was said.

"…why I'm only gonna kill you a little bit!" Mick shouted.

Leonard came around the corner just in time to see Mick fire at Sara, her cry of pain, making Leonard see red for all of two seconds before he found his voice.

"Mick!"

He fired on his friend, throwing him back against the wall with a crunch.

Rip's hail came over the comm and Snart stared at Mick, never lowering his weapon, not hearing a single word Rip said.

"What're you gonna do, Snart?" Mick snarled.

Leonard remained silent as he stared at his partner, his friend, the closest thing he'd had to a family before…

Sara came up behind him, standing at his shoulder in silent support.

Before this.

But it still didn't answer the question.

What was he going to do?

* * *

Rubbing his eyes, Leonard tried to drown out the inane conversation around him. He already had a headache and nothing today would make it better.

"Why don't we just drop him off back in 2016?"

Leonard's voice was as emotionless as ever. "Because my sister lives in 2016. And your sister, and your wife." He glanced at the Legends in turn, making sure they knew the risks of leaving Mick there.

"So what exactly are we talking about here? Leaving Rory in the brig until we take down Savage?"

"No, no, no, no, the brig is unsuitable for long-term incarceration," Rip said, focusing on the mundane to avoid the truth of the matter.

"Leaving him free run of the ship is not an option."

"I'll handle it," Leonard announced.

"By handling it, you mean murder?"

"I said I'll handle it." His tone brokered no argument and he left the room before anyone could think to speak.

Still, he wasn't surprised to hear the tiniest whisper of footsteps behind him.

"I'm not really in the mood to talk," he called over his shoulder, heading towards the brig.

"Good, then you can listen," Sara argued.

She grabbed his arm, but Leonard ripped out of her grasp. "Back off, Lance."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew he'd made a mistake. He was pissed, but pissing off an assassin?

Well, it'd been a rough day.

Sara grabbed his shoulders and shoved him up against the wall. "You're going to listen to me whether you want to or not, then you can go off on your own, if you'd like. But shut up and listen to me, crook."

"Fine, assassin," Leonard snarled. "Let's hear what pearls of wisdom you have to offer. Enlighten me."

"I know what you're thinking," Sara said.

"Of course you do, it's the only option."

"No, it's not. You don't have to do it."

"I don't have a choice," Leonard argued, grabbing her wrists tightly. "It's the only way to keep my family, _everyone's_ families safe."

"That's how a killer thinks," Sara repeated quietly. "And that's not you."

"You don't know me, Canary," Leonard growled quietly. "I've killed before."

"So have I. But you," she stopped pushing him into the wall and grabbed the lapels of his coat, tugging him gently, "you showed me that I didn't have to be. Please, Len. Don't."

He let go of her wrists and Sara released his coat.

The anger was gone; it'd only been a front, mostly. He wasn't angry at her. He wasn't even that angry at Mick; the guy had only been doing what he'd always done. He was angry at himself. He'd had to go and get wrapped up in this team, these people, this woman. He'd had to go and care.

"I'll do what I have to," he told her. "For the team."

Sara stared at him, then leaned in and kissed him. He didn't respond, his jaw tight underneath her gentle fingers, but his hands fisted at his sides. Not kissing her was a torture, but it's one he felt he deserved.

"I trust you," she said, air ghosting over his tight lips as she backed off of him.

He pulled away from her and this time, she didn't chase after him.

* * *

Leonard dragged Mick out of the jump ship, shoving him onto the grass.

"I told you that'd be the last time you'd hit me," Mick growled, glaring at him.

"You were right."

"That the plan? Take me out in the middle of nowhere, where no one can find the body?" Mick asked, his eyes burning with hatred for Leonard right now. And he couldn't blame him.

He looked down and away. "I wish there were some other way, Mick. But you're dangerous. A liability to the team."

To the team. To him. To Sara.

"Team?! You and I were a team!" Mick shouted, the rage covering the undercurrent of pain and betrayal that Leonard couldn't help but hear. "What happened to you?"

"People change." No, people didn't really change. That was the problem. He hadn't changed at all. He'd just been forced to be the man he'd been trying so hard to hide.

"You think you're some kind of hero, but deep down you're still the same punk kid I saved in juvie. You haven't got the guts." He rose to his feet slowly, the challenge on his face and swagger in his stance. "You want to kill me?" Mick asked, raising his chin. "Kill me. Only one of us is walking out of here alive."

Snart gritted his teeth, agreeing with everything Mick said. He wasn't a hero. He never could be. He was just a punk kid who had to make one hell of a choice. "You're right."

He fired.

* * *

Sara was sitting up in his room, waiting for him.

He sighed quietly when he saw her, not entirely surprised, but still irritated. He tossed his cold gun onto the chair with far less care than he usually would. Leonard didn't particularly care for his gun at the moment.

Standing up, Sara crossed over to him, taking her hands in his. He tried to draw away, but she held on tightly, searching his eyes for something.

Leonard stood still.

Her eyes darted between his, then she sighed, a sorrowful smile on her face.

"You didn't." It was stated simply. A fact, not a question.

Leonard stared at her, his eyes narrowing slightly in question.

She let go of his hands and took his face between hers. "I know how killing sits in a heart. I know how it looks in the mirror. And I don't see it on you."

He reached up to touch her cheek, but his hand fell back to his side. "I as good as killed him. Half frozen in 2046 without his gun."

"But you didn't," Sara reminded him. "You made your choice."

"I chose." Leonard stepped back and let his head knock against the wall. "Lost my partner. Lost my friend. Lost my damn mind over this fucking team."

Sara looked at him, not with sympathy, but understanding. He stared into her blue eyes and found himself still speaking.

"Over you."

Sara's eyes softened, but again, no sympathy. She took a step towards him. Leonard willed his mouth to stay shut as she moved forward. Usually he would hate having someone box him in, but this felt different. He wasn't feeling caged. He was feeling untethered and the freeness wasn't exactly liberating. He felt lost.

Unsure.

Uncertain.

Despite his desire to keep his mouth shut, he kept going. "I chose you."

Sara smoothed her palm over his chest. He could feel his heart pounding against his ribs. She probably felt it, too.

"Then we're even," she said with a faint smile. "Because I already chose you."

She kissed him slowly, nothing hurried or heated. This wasn't the time or place. But he grasped her hips and held her against him, needing her warmth to thaw out the chill that had almost settled over him. Her hands went around his neck, leaning into him.

Scorching everywhere she was pressed against him, Leonard let the fire burn away what was left of the biting in his heart. He'd been doing everything according to his plan. He just hadn't realized where his plan had been leading him. He hadn't known what he'd been working toward until it was here in his arms.

He pulled away. Sara smiled up at him and Leonard's mouth lifted slightly.

She reached behind her to the desk, grabbing a six pack he hadn't seen upon entering. "Drink?" Sara asked, sitting on the bed.

Leonard huffed in relief. Not that continuing with Sara wouldn't be enjoyable, but he wasn't exactly in a state of mind to be as…present or attentive as he should be. "Please."

She popped off the caps of two beers and he joined her, putting his feet up and taking the proffered drink.

"Did I ever tell you that I was a thief once?" she said, leaning against his shoulder as she sipped her drink.

Leonard glanced at her, "You've never mentioned it, no." He took a big swig of his beer.

"When I was working with the League, Ra's al Ghul had asked for a volunteer. I was still new, so I stepped up."

"Of course."

She chuckled, "So, everything was going fine, until I tripped a pressure sensor and set off an alarm."

"Amateur."

Sara scoffed and knocked his shoulder lightly, "First time."

"And that's a textbook rookie mistake."

"Assassin, not thief," she reminded him.

"I would have assumed more of those skills would be transferable."

"Unfortunately, they aren't." He could hear the smile in her voice. "So anyway, the guards come running and that's when things get interesting."

Leonard sat back, drinking a cold beer with a resurrected assassin curled up next to him like a cat. On a spaceship that was hurtling through time, as a ragtag team of misfits did their best to save the world from an immortal psychopath. He smiled, listening to Sara distract him with her past. In the middle of it, he'd shifted, putting his arm over her shoulders. She hadn't commented, but she'd relaxed against him.

Certainty was overrated.


End file.
